Island Nurses: Stories of Birth, Life and Death on Remote Great Barrier Island

Island Nurses is a story about two remarkable women and how they forged their careers in a remote place; a story of community and the births and deaths that shape its ups and downs; a classic story of making do and overcoming adversity; and a story of hope and new life.

Leonie Howie and Adele Robertson live and work on remote Great Barrier Island--so called because it faces the full brunt of the wild Pacific weather and acts as a barrier for the mainland about 100 kilometres away. With a population of around 1000, no reticulated electricity, no ATM machine, no street lights and one pub, this is a wildly beautiful place. It has a long history of farming, whaling and fishing, and the people who live here are a resilient lot, proud of their community. Midwifery and nursing on a remote island bring a wide range of dramas and emergencies, and Adele and Leonie share the islanders' stories--sometimes tragic, sometimes happy, sometimes funny--from over 30 years of challenging yet uplifting work.

Author description

Adele Robertson and Leonie Howie have lived and worked on Great Barrier Island for over 30 years, Adele as the midwife and Leonie as the nurse.